“I did not see her forcibly hold him”

Tuesday 18 October 2016

A witness to an alleged assault on a four-year-old autistic boy said she saw no force used during the incident.

The Magistrate’s court today heard the witness, the daughter of the accused, say at no time did her mother use force on the child.

A teacher at a Jersey school has denied two charges of common assault on the same day, February 9th, on a four-year-old autistic boy. 

It is alleged the teacher, who has been suspended from work pending the outcome of the trial, wiped the child’s own saliva over his face during a cooking session in which pancakes were being made on Shrove Tuesday, and later on the same day kicked his legs.  

The defendant and school have not been named in order to protect the identity of the child.

The daughter of the defendant, who also worked as a child carer at the school, was asked today whether she had witnessed the incident where the accused was alleged to have wiped the boy’s own saliva into his face. 

She said: “With the spitting incident, it is not unreasonable to ask any child not to spit. 

“I did not see my mother hold the boy. I saw her provide a back-up so he would not fall off his stool. He was guided to sit on the stool and she stood behind him to prevent him falling. I did not see her forcibly hold him.”

Police Legal Adviser Jan Brewer said: “Your evidence accords with your mother’s, but not those of other witnesses.”

She replied: “That is surprising to me. I have been asked to provide a witness account of what happened.”

Ms Brewer asked whether her mother was cross when the incident took place. 

She said: “No. I suppose it would be unreasonable not to get cross sometimes. She does not get cross at work. I have never seen her cross at work. It is her job to be professional.”

Defending Advocate Christina Hall asked if she had ever seen her mother cross with a child at school.

“Never,” she replied. “I have never seen her cross at work. I did not see my mother raise her tone or shout at any point on that day. 

“She might shout when she was cross, or go red. She was not cross on that day because I saw her.”     

The trial before Magistrate Bridget Shaw continues.